SINKIANG The strategic importance of Inner Mongolia, which is on the borders of Sinkiang, increases as the continental encroach- ments of Japan extend beyond the bounds of Manchuria, According to the latest news from Peking, Teh Wang has no longer any choice in the matter, for in reality the Japanese are in control of practically all Inner Mongolia. Tibet, to the south of Sinkiang, broke away from China at the time of the 1911 revolution. It has been under British protection since 1904, when armed intervention at Lhasa succeeded in its object of opening up the country to British trade and at the same time combating Russian influence, which had been growing in Tibet. The Dalai Lama died in ^SS and nobody knows what influences will dominate in the next reign. As for Inner Tibet, which is a dependency of China, it was divided in 1929 into the provinces of Hsi-kan and Koko Nor (or Chinghai) in order to control it more easily. Forces Present in Sinkiang. Sinkiang is the largest province of China and is very difficult to govern. On the one hand, the civil administration is supported only by an insignificant military force, and as Sinkiang is from two to three thousand miles from Nanking it is almost impossible for it to receive any help from there; on the other hand, the Turkis, Kirghiz, Mongols and Dzungarian Tungans need to be governed carefully through the intermediary of native chiefs; for the Governor of Sinkiang, who resides at Urumcfai, the Moslems of the province constitute a permanent menace, If they got into the hands of foreigners, they might unite against Chinese domination. We have seen Yakub Beg taking advantage of a Moslem revolt. In addition, account has to be taken of the Tungans occupying the neighbouring province of Kansu, who have always been mixed up in Sinkiang disturbances. They 209 *